EM Didactic - April 24, 2017 - By Chanana L
(Originally posted by EM Lyceum on 2/11/2015)
"Acute gastrointestinal disorders are some of the most frequent problems evaluated by ED physicians. Complaints of diarrhea account for almost 5% of visits to the emergency departments. Although the disease entity is extremely prevalent and current evidence on the subject is nothing short of “voluminous,” practice differences among ED physicians in its evaluation and management are as varied and inconsistent as the stools themselves...
- When do you send stool cultures, stool ovum and parasites, and/or fecal WBC? How do you use the results in diagnosis and management?
- When do you get bloodwork? When do you pursue imaging?
- Which patients do you treat with antibiotics?
- What other medications do you use? Loperamide, Lomotil, Pepto? What about probiotics?"